"Cons_itution? "

     Invoking the U.S. Constitution in a political debate is as American as apple pie and reality TV, and it's especially common by the members of the ultra-conservative Tea Party damning the current government. Of course, the Constitution, together with the Bill of Rights, were intended by the architects to be a groundwork for a democratic nation that would evolve and change over hundreds of years. The present fascination with a return to the "principles" of the founding fathers, constitutional fundamentalism, so to speak, is a contradiction in terms. Even more disturbing than that, however, is the fact that most people invoking constitutional law aren't even that well-versed in it. In fact, according to recent polls, almost no one is.

     According to a 2010 poll by the Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier, a random sample of 1,000 people from across the country were polled on their knowledge of, attitudes toward, and understandings of the Constitution. Of the participants, only a quarter (28%) have actually read all of the Constitution; the lion's share of those reporting that they had read it in high school or college. Though the poll shows widespread agreement on a number of typically "American" positions (constitutional principles, civic duties, characteristics of good citizenship), however it also shows that people are diametrically opposed on one important issue: the powers and limitations of government.

     This is nothing new, and plays out on our television screens and in our break rooms every day. However, one divisive question made my ears perk: What is the source of governmental authority, the people or elected officials? This is one of the basic tenants of our representative democracy, that elected officials represent their constituents by popular vote, and that if the people are not represented those representatives will not be re-elected. Thus, the people are the source of governmental authority. We signed a Declaration of Independence and fought a revolution over this philosophy. However, on the poll, 50% said our government's authority comes from elected officials.

     Further evidence that our voters are not exactly the "educated electorate" that Thomas Jefferson envisioned? The National Assessment of Education Progress released the National Civics Report Card last month, which showed a woefully small percent of American students with "proficient" knowledge of government. Of those, less than 2% of them were black or Hispanic. The public school system has come under severe fire from nearly every side, and being a teacher I can attest to this. However, a public school system was envisioned by Jefferson to create an educated populace that was knowledgeable enough to be informed of their vote; something he and many others at the time saw as necessary to sustaining a thriving Democracy. Instead, more people vote for reality TV contests like American Idol than do in presidential elections, and even fewer vote in elections for local government that actually have a larger direct impact in their lives.

     Finally, and here's the really bad news; according to some polls our many in our elected leadership know even less about the Constitution than we do. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute completed a study in January in which they administered a 33-question basic civics exam to American citizens and state and federal elected officials. The average score by citizens was a 54%, which is dismal by the standards to which they now hold our public schools. However, our elected representatives scored a 49% average; a full grade percentage lower. Among the questions they got wrong:

• 54% did not know that congress, not the president, has the power to declare war
• 51% could not name the three branches of government
• 43% did not know what the electoral college was (20% thought it was a school)

     So all of this begs the question, how do we elect people to "uphold and defend the Constitution", or do it once elected, if we don't really even understand it ourselves. One explanation for voters' apathy and ignorance is that our government works well enough that half the country truly can slide into their own complacent lives without worrying what tomorrow will bring; mostly because those people that do care, care a lot! (Kind of like civic welfare, I guess) However, should those apathetic voters suddenly take notice and become an active participant in their own democracy, I'm absolutely positive that the political, social, and economic landscape in this country would look much different. (Not to mention all of the polling places that would be completely over-run!) I shudder to think what it would take for that to happen, because people have been railing about voter apathy and ignorance for decades. What will it take for people to stop allowing themselves to be spoon-fed their politics; to star educating themselves, thinking for themselves, and activating their civic rights?